Focus On Environmental Quality Council
June 20, 2024
Nebraska Department of Environment & Energy
245 Fallbrook Blvd
Lincoln, Nebraska
9:00 AM (Central)


AGENDA




DATE: June 20, 2024
Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy
245 Fallbrook Boulevard
Lincoln, Nebraska
9:00 AM (Central)
001 Roll Call
002 Announcements

003 Minutes of November 17, 2023 Meeting

004 Reports of EQC Members

005 Report of DEE Director

006 Old Business

007 New Business

007A Election of Chairperson
007B Election of Vice-Chairperson

008 Next Meeting

009 Informational Presentation on PFAs
010 Public Hearing on the 2025 Intended Use Plan

011 Adjournment

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
AND PUBLIC MEETING
STATE OF NEBRASKA
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY (NDEE)
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY COUNCIL

Notice is hereby given pursuant to Neb. Rev. Stat. §84-1411, that the Nebraska Environmental Quality Council (EQC) will hold a meeting and public hearing on June 20, 2024, beginning at 9:00 A.M. Central Time (CT) at 245 Fallbrook Blvd., Lincoln, Nebraska. Business items on the agenda will precede a hearing which is scheduled to begin at 9:00 A.M. CT or as soon thereafter as can reasonably be heard. The purpose of the hearing is to take testimony and evidence about the proposed Fiscal Year 2025 State Revolving Fund Clean Water and Drinking Water Intended Use Plan (2025 IUP). The meeting agenda and a draft copy of the 2025 IUP are available at the NDEE’s Lincoln office, 245 Fallbrook Blvd., Lincoln, NE and on the NDEE website at http://dee.ne.gov.

All interested persons may attend and testify orally or by written submission at the public hearing. Interested persons may also submit written comments by mail addressed to: EQC, P.O. Box 98922, Lincoln, NE 68509-8922 or by email to NDEE.eqc@nebraska.gov prior to the hearing. Comments which are received by 5:00 P.M. CT, June 18, 2024, will be entered into the hearing record.

Please notify the NDEE at least one week in advance of the EQC meeting if auxiliary aids or reasonable accommodations or alternate formats of materials are needed. The contact phone number is 402-471-2186; TDD users call 800-833-7352 and ask the relay operator to call 402-471-2186.

A public hearing will be held on the 2025 IUP for determining loan and assistance recipients under the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) and the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF). The 2025 IUP is presented to the EQC in compliance with Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 71-5321 and 81-15,152, Title 131 – Rules and Regulations for Wastewater Treatment Facilities and Drinking Water Construction Assistance Program, and the federal Clean Water and Safe Drinking Water Acts. The 2025 IUP describes how Nebraska intends to use all sources of funding for making loans, with forgiveness assistance to qualified recipients, for construction of eligible projects and assistance for other water quality needs throughout the state. The 2025 IUP includes a Project Priority Ranking System and Fiscal Year 2025 Funding Priority List for each of the funds, the system for setting borrowing rates, and defines the required Affordability Criteria (CWSRF) and Disadvantaged Community (DWSRF) methods needed for the offering of forgiveness assistance. Additionally, the 2025 IUP provides specific details on the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s General Supplemental and Emerging Contaminants Funding for each SRF, the Lead Service Line Replacement Funding for the DWSRF, and the funding annually appropriated to both SRF programs. The purpose of the hearing is to accept public testimony on EQC approval of the 2025 IUP. The EQC will vote to adopt, amend, or modify the 2025 IUP after hearing and considering all the testimony and written submissions.